Huskers Return Home to Face RutgersHuskers Return Home to Face Rutgers
Football

Huskers Return Home to Face Rutgers

Lincoln - Coach Bo Pelini and members of the Nebraska football team discussed Saturday's upcoming game against Rutgers with media members Monday at Memorial Stadium.

Kickoff between the Huskers (6-1, 2-1 Big Ten) and the Scarlet Knights (5-2, 1-2 Big Ten) is set for 11 a.m., with live national television coverage provided by ESPN2. 

Nebraska, which is coming off a strong 38-17 win at pesky Northwestern on Saturday, will play its first and last home game of October at Memorial Stadium Saturday.

The Big Red will take on a Scarlet Knights squad that will be making its first-ever trip to Memorial Stadium. In fact, the only time the two teams have met in history (1920, Polo Grounds, New York City), Memorial Stadium, which was constructed in 1923, was not even built. 

Nebraska's 94-year gap between games against Rutgers is the longest in school history between games against an opponent.

While the Huskers will try to ride the momentum of a stellar second half in Evanston, Rutgers will look to rebound from a 56-17 shellacking at Ohio State in its first-ever Big Ten Conference road game.

Senior I-back Ameer Abdullah, who became the first Husker in history with three 1,000-yard rushing seasons after crossing the plateau at Northwestern Saturday, leads a potent Big Red run game that is averaging nearly 300 yards per game. Rutgers had been solid against the run before giving up steady against the run, giving up 324 yards on the ground against the Buckeyes. However, 224 of those yards came in the second half after the Buckeyes built a 35-7 halftime lead.

Sophomore quarterback Tommy Armstrong Jr., who has powered a Nebraska passing attack that is averaging nearly 230 yards per game, will face a Scarlet Knight defense that ranks 98th nationally in allowing 261.6 yards per contest.

Complete transcripts of the Huskers' conversations at the press conference, including Coach Pelini, freshman returner/receiver De'Mornay Pierson-El, junior offensive lineman Alex Lewis, sophomore defensive lineman Greg McMullen and sophomore safety Nate Gerry are available in the links below.